Top IPhone and IPod Touch Apps for Music Lovers
And They Are All Free!!
Like searching for a needle in a haystack, finding quality applications in the iTunes App Store can be a daunting task. I love music, and I am always on the lookout for new and exciting applications to expand my musical horizons and enhance the soundtrack of my life. These are some of the best music apps in the App Store, and they are all free to download and enjoy. Cheers!
TuneWiki
TuneWiki is the ultimate media player for your iPhone or iPod Touch. Not only are there thousands of internet radio stations available (in addition to the ones you create yourself), you can get lyrics synced with the music as you listen, displayed in any language! A real-time world map lets you see where your favorite songs are being played, and even the Top 50 Charts all over the globe. What really sets this app apart is the inclusion of a music video search option, with a click you can find the video on YouTube or purchase the track from iTunes. This amazing app is customizable with several different skins to choose. My personal fave: you can send songs to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The downside to this application: it is sometimes sluggish or runs fine but with choppy graphics. You need to make sure no other applications are running in the background to ensure optimal performance. I am sure this will be resolved with the next update, and for a free app, TuneWiki can’t be beat.
LastFM & Pandora Radio
These are two great internet radio applications, with a few differences. They are both free apps, and I use both of them. Both LastFM and Pandora have extensive music libraries, though LastFM seems to have more songs, and more obscure artists rather than sticking to mainstream trends. Both applications allow you to create your own stations, and from your selections, they will provide similar tracks. It is a great way to find new music and artists that you will really love. LastFM is my personal favorite, simply because you can skip as many songs as you like, ban or favorite artists with ease, and basically you never have to hear anything you do not want to. Pandora only allows 5 skips per hour, so if you use those up, you are stuck listening to whatever the application provides. Although Pandora is pretty good about matching you with music you will like, it can still be a pain. Pandora has a much smoother and streamlined interface than LastFM, and is easier to use while driving or jogging. Also, LastFM does not have a pause function, so if you are interrupted, you have to stop the song. Both applications are excellent, and free, so you have nothing to lose by trying both of them.
Shazam
As far as music identification applications go, Shazam is the best. Press the ‘Tag Now’ button, and in a befuddlingly short time it identifies the song, artist, album information, and allows you to purchase the track from iTunes right there. Shazam does not respond to humming, singing, or anything other than the actual song as some other applications so, but Shazam has never failed to identify a song. No matter how random, obscure, or old the song is, Shazam retrieves the info like nobody’s business. Another free application I could not live without.
iHeart Radio
This application provides hundreds of US radio stations right to your iPhone or iPod Touch. I really enjoy listening to stations from all over the country. Anything from Rush Limbaugh to Death Metal can be found here. With reasonably updated traffic information available on demand (for major cities) and a polished, easy-to-use interface, this app is an instant favorite. You can choose your favorite station to play at start-up, a new (and very nice) feature to the application. The only downer with this one is you cannot use other applications while listening, and if you get a call, the application closes. For a free application, I find that a minor issue.
MixMeister Scratch
MixMeister is great fun for the urban music lover. Authentic vinyl scratch sounds can be played over any song in your device. It is not a ‘real’ dj tool, of course, but it does make for some great fun. It is a new app, and it is free, so I would not be surprised to see some fun updates, and maybe even a paid version in the future. Keep your eye out for this one, it is going places.
- By Kelley Branch | Associated Content
- Naiomi Solomon
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